A glass factory, a secret department for developing optical fibre, and a border region. These are the key elements behind the development of the Latvian fibre-optic industry, a field of expertise that began to take shape in secret during the Soviet era in Līvāni.
The Latgale region, situated in eastern Latvia and bordering Russia, is considered the cradle of Latvia’s fibre-optic industry. It all began “in Līvāni, near Latvia’s eastern border.” Līvāni is a small town with a long industrial tradition. And this story began right here with the glass factory, which produced glass cups and vases for the entire Soviet Union,” explains Santa Vucina, quality manager at Lightguide, one of Latvia’s leading companies in this sector.
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A tradition that originated on a secret mission and forged local expertise
“In the early 1980s, what was then known as the ‘secret department’ was set up, dedicated specifically to fibre optics, and, as is usually the case, all scientific advances start somewhere. In this case, it began with the development of optical fibres for military and space applications. The founders of this company were also part of the team that pioneered the use of fibre optics in Līvāni. Over time, this team of highly talented engineers managed to safeguard this technology. Despite the economic changes and the new world order, they managed to sustain this specialisation in this small town. This knowledge and expertise were not imported from anywhere else. They’re local. They were born and raised here from the very beginning," she says.